Mitchell presented jerseys to the wrong team

"For me, Mitchell committed, in rugby terms, the crime of sleeping with the enemy." Yes, not like he's a New Zealander helping to develop Australian rugby. Hypocrite...

Not sure if it's been blurted previously, but, I'd humbly submit, Mitchell's impolite decision does kind of pull a rug from under his wannabe Wallabies at the Force ... Please! You think those guys with Wallabies aspirations (at least 3/4 of the team at the Force) wouldn't find that a little funky? Good start to the new season coach.

Ridiculous! Sounds like whinging cobbers once again.

pdv is a genius. king of the mind games. mitch handing out the jerseys certainly caused discord in the kingdom.

Lets say 2 things happen next year. 1 all experienced SA 5/8's playing in a SA super francise are injured come TN's 2.Pretorious has found a new lease on life due to JM's astute coaching and is Aust S14's premier 5/8 and then he gets a gig for SA in the trinations. Whose the traitor then???? TEA CUP. I still reckon whoever presented the jersey last week to the wallabies did a useless job or the players, as a generalisation, aren't motivated by it as much as the boks or ab's

I know it's pretty much a storm in a teacup, but what if say Hickey, Friend or Mooney did it? not that they would or even be asked. It doesn't show absolute unity between the Force and ARU and that the respective goals are not exactly aligned. However my understanding is that whilst he is an employee of the Force and his loyalties should lie there and not neccessarily with the ARU, who pay's his players? While I'm at it who pay's Pretorius's wage? and should he have totally loyalty to the Wallaby cause? A Former All Black coach now working for an Australian S15 team handing out jersey's to the Springboks???......... he probably drives a Japanese car too! Right I'm confused, back to the start........... a storm in a teacup!

I have to say that if John Plumtree who is a Kiwi and currently coaching the sharks as well as use to play for them was to give the Aussies their jerseys along with a speech i would not of cared and i am a big shark fan. I dont expect a person to change their beliefs just because they work in a certain country, like myself i live and work in Aus and would like to think i contribute to the australian society but i still barrack for the springboks.

I think it's interesting that, as proud Wallabies past, Simon Poidevin and Andrew Slack didn't have a problem with Mitchell presenting the jerseys. In the Australian context, a bit of history is instructive. Why did Rod Macqueen introduce the "Great past Wallaby presents the jerseys" tradition in the first place? Why do we read (occasionally) of "great Past Wallabies" going the blub upon fulfilling this role? Obviously there's something deeply psychological about the process, on the part of the giver and the player receiving the jersey.Macqueen understood this emotional transaction was a useful tool in preparing his players for the game. For the Wallabies at least, the function is to connect the players with the tradition of the jersey. What other teams get out of it I couldn't say. As others have stated here, given the meaning of the ceremony to the Wallabies, Mitchell should have thought a bit more about what impact his actions regarding the South African team may have on players he coaches at the Force who play for the Wallabies – Gits, Mitchell, Brown, Cross, O'Connor etc. Again, given what the jersey presentation ceremony means to the Wallas, they and the other Wallas have every reason to be perplexed by his actions.

Pish posh bubbly wash... No I am not Anglo African, other delightful stock. Jake White can do what ever it is he wants to, he wanted to coach the Lions for the tour in South Africa, not to mention your delightful stock. Most said "thanks mate, you gave us the Web Ellis do what your career needs." I don’t think Mitchell was in cahoots with the boks, this is too much of an overstatement for a well spoke jolly old chap like yourself. Yeah lets gentlemanly agree to disagree and have a cup of tea. Good heavens it’s a bee, flying past that old willow tree, by golly can it be? Sorry could not stop myself. Thought I might join the under age thought process behind this saga.

He never played a test but played 6 times for the All Blacks, captained them in those games and later coached them. One of only 3 players in history to do all 3.

Are you an Anglo-African? Delightful stock. Well, we must agree to disagree. I wonder whether you might think differently if Jake White was in cahoots with Jonno to do down the Bokke.

Now, if he had had the forethought to pack a big bag of itching powder.....

Sorry Norfolk, I should know I was born in GreatYarmouth They should fire JM and the people who gave him the OK, club rugby heads and all... including Deans. Deans himself a traitor like JM to NZ but NZ can't talk, they hired Henry a traitor to Wales. Heck lets just fire everyone because we want to divert attention from the Wallabies loss. I am sure Matt Gittue will feel betrayed by JM but then again he too is a traitor to the force and the team before that. It's pathetic If Melbourne gets the s15 team, ill join the club buy the jersey and go to every game but that does not mean I will stop supporting the Springboks... I won't even stop supporting the Bulls. It's not like JM spent days with them showing them how to beat the Wallabies. He spent time with the team to learn about player management. So in this regard he should be applauded, he could further the "Australian" game and be a better coach. In return he handed a bunch of lads who probably see him as a childhood hero their jerseys. Honestly this is not such a big deal.

Norfolk, not Northfolk. Again, your analogy is false. The Aussies who play for Norfolk don't have responsibility for the welfare of the cricketers of England for 30 weeks a year. It's simply untenable for a man to coach chaps (Brown, Giteau, O'Connor) for 30 weeks a year and then to conspire against them for the remainder of the year. It's just completely barmy behaviour and I'm amazed that Mitchell thinks he can get away with it. Let me offer one comparison: Graham Henry was drummed out of the Wales job in 2002 after the Welsh players became infuriated that he didn't seem to rate them as much in his Lions guise as he did in his Welsh guise. Yet, in that case, Henry and his players were actually on the same team! Mitchell's behaviour is still worse: he has actively conspired with an opposition team. It is deplorable. Do you seriously think that Giteau & Co won't be royally angered by an act of such arch treachery? Finally, I am not an Australian and thus have no axe to grind. But, as an English nobleman, I feel honour bound to uphold decent standards of behaviour.

You don’t for one second think you lot are reading too much into this? You don’t stop and ask maybe I am being a bit pedantic? So if a Aussie bats for Northfolk in England (there are many playing over there) they are not allowed to cheer for anything Aussie? Again you point looks good but its false, how about George Greagan, is he suppose to drop his Aussie heritage because he players for a Japanese club? Please, stop being pedantic, I know the loss is tough but JM did not bring that about.

Poppycock. The 130,000 Australians in England (all of whom are most welcome - indeed, l should dearly love to exchange them for some of England's more recalcitrant "citizens") are perfectly entitled to cheer for whomever they wish provided that they do not work in the field concerned. Mr Mitchell's case is entirely different. He is the coach of several Wallabies. He works with them for 30 weeks a year. How on earth can poor Richard Brown possibly feel any confidence in a man who has stabbed him in the back by offering succour to his international opponents? It is simply intolerable. One expects decorum and reserve from one's mercenaries. This is a basic rule of warfare since the Middle Ages. A chap can fight for the foreign coin, but he does so with due respect and deference. Mr Mitchell has single-handedly subverted such ancient notions of chivalry. Quite frankly, the man is a barbarian, and all right-thinking Australians are quite entitled to drum the man out of Perth.

Mitchell is about what’s good for John Mitchell, first, second and third. This was highly inappropriate act as a senior envoy of Australian rugby. Furthermore he shouldn't have had to ask anyone if it was not a break in protocol, he should have known it was just the wrong message to be sending Australian Rugby Public... Noted and added it to the list of John Mitchell’s lengthy questionable actions in Australian rugby….

Nor any Taxi drivers lol

JM is not hired by the ARU, he does not work for the government. He is a Kiwi doing a job in Australia. He works for a company that is happy to import foreign coaches and players, he still (not that he had to) had the respect to ask if it’s Ok. Very simple, its time to grow up.

VC, What a load of absolute BS! Your comment is outrageously stupid and backwards! If what you say is true, then the 130 thousand Aussie working holiday makers up in pommy land should be gunning for England in the ashes? Horse sh*t. Cut off a trees roots and watch it die. I am no fan of JM but he is a kiwi, he was hired cus he could in some Australians mind make a difference to a club/franchise in this country. He pays taxes to help this countries economy stand tall. He does his job because he got hired to do it. He is not a wallaby, he is not Australian. He asked for permission and got it, now shut it. This is the type of arrogance that will not help you in anyway to join the modern world. Why not get Rudd to evacuate the Asian populations, get rid of all the Indian people because the shout for india? Ill tell you what's depressing, you and mr Zavos's point of view. Take away all these so called "sponging" foreigners and see what's left of your beloved country, you wont even have a rugby team.